The circuitous march up one road and down another led to a new line just a few hundred yards to the west of the old one and was miraculously carried out while under attack without the loss of any men or equipment. This version of the story, which is paraphrased in the introduction, will be referred to as the original version of the story. Those men were a scrappy bunch. Cole, Hugh M. The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge. One German tank was seen going up in flames. Gen. Herbert T. Perrin, assistant commander of the 106th Infantry Division, drove up carrying a message from General Jones. Schneider, Wolfgang. Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. As the offensive steam came to an end in the Ardennes, the division went on the defensive, and there they would stay. Yeah but Panthers rear and side armor is very weak, so its completely different story. Attack on Panther PzKw V and Tiger PzKw VI. General Luchts 66th Corps was shifted from General Manteuffels Fifth Panzer Army to the Sixth Panzer. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. Schiffer Publishing, 1996. Griffin, Marcus S. After Action Report, Month of December 1944. The lumbering heavy tank continued moving towards the American line before turning north towards the town of Hunningen, Belgium, passing the armored car. I mention it for the sake of completeness as I suspect that the whole thing is a myth. Seventh Armored Division Association 2517 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington 8, D.C., 1947. Soldiers of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division infiltrated the American lines at the villages of Roth, Weckerath, Kobscheid, and Auw before the artillery barrage began. The Fifth and Sixth Panzer Armies were to advance abreast, cross the Meuse River, and then drive for the Belgian port city of Antwerp, a major staging and supply center for the Allied armies in western Europe. Volksgrenadier-Division. Company B of the 9th Engineers and D Company of the 89th Recon joined the line to supplement the armored infantry. This moment marked the beginning of the famous Battle of the Bulge, Germanys last major offensive on the Western Front in World War II. This means that 50% of shots fired will penetrate this amount of armor. The unit attacking Troop B, the 294th Volksgrenadier Regiment, had StuG IIIs and had been using StuG IIIs the previous day in small probing attacks east of St. Vith where Troop B would end up being positioned. 1940 194111. The closest of the northern German armored thrust routes ran through Recht, about five miles northwest of St. Vith. Osprey Publishing, 2013. It would be unable to turn its full strength on St. Vith until the American surrender in that area. Josef Theissen, the fifteen-year-old who had seen the Germans arrive on Sunday, December 17, watched the soldiers every move with the fascination for things military . Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914) Period: First World War (1914-1918) Awarded on: October 30th, 1917. Tigers In Combat I. The armored infantrymen kept themselves well hidden until the column was directly in front of them and then opened fire. In blinding snow and on slippery roads the tanks and infantry of CCB, 9th Armored headed for Bauvenn. It was a race between the Germans who were desperately trying to bring their 88 mm gun to bear and the Americans who were trying to get as close as possible to the Tiger Is rear. 223 223. Because Ridgway was not in total agreement with the withdrawal and to get a feel for the real situation on the ground, he and Hasbrouck made their way to General Clarke at Commanster. Hoge immediately got on the phone and ordered Engeman to move out. The event that Lieutenant Olson recounts does bare a resemblance to the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story, with both events taking place at or near St. Vith on the 18th of December 1944 and involving an American armored car from the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron knocking out a German tank by shooting it in the rear. I think we can make it now. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division(18th VGD) was a volksgrenadierdivision of the German Army(Heer) during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. The second task force consisted of B Company of the 811th Tank Destroyers. To this end, General Hoge was in the town of Monschau to check on the possibility of getting his command across in that area. Clerks were running everywhere and junior staff officers were arguing among themselves; upstairs, however, Hoge found General Jones remarkably composed. Airfix J6017 Volkswagen Camper Van (Quick Build) R 405.00. It is possible that it was really a Tiger tank. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division was to attack along the two roads from Schoenberg, with the Fhrer Escort Brigade assaulting from the north. Orders for CCB, 9th Armored to move to a new defensive position were issued at 1600. VGD division was absorbed into the 26. The division retrained as 22.Luftlande-Division (Air Landing Division) for rapid tactical deployment to capture enemy airbases and performed in that role during the . The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18.Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. First Edition, Stackpole Books, 2005. It saw action in France before taking part in the fighting in the Ardennes where it suffered heavy losses, it continued fighting on the western front until the end . The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. 281st Security Division (281. The division's intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robert P. Stout, noted that the division faced two known enemy divisions, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division and the 26th Volksgrenadier Division. According to two combat interviews given by men of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report for the month of December 1944, and Lieutenant Colonel Boylans 1946 letter, on 18th December 1944, the Germans attacked the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B) with infantry and tanks. However, by noon on December 18 it was quite apparent to Hoge that the Germans infiltrating across the river were converging on the bridge in such numbers that it had to be blown. Encyclopedia of German tanks of World War Two. So many soldiers of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division converged on Wallerode for the final push against St. Vith that the villagers themselves threatened to be squeezed out. First Edition, Presidio Press, 2002. Osprey Publishing, 2002. Hoge has just reported an attack. Two regiments of the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division attacked 9th Armored positions early that morning, their goal to gain the Salm River at Salmchateau. Armament T-70 gun cal. Johnston, W. Wesley. Slayden had been sent to Jones by Middleton as an adviser until the 106th Division could become acclimated. They were repulsed by machine-gun fire. German Division Nr. Ardennes 1944: Hitlers Last Gamble. Fire from the 16th Field Artillery broke up other enemy formations trying to assemble on the high ground to the south. The fall of Rodt effectively split 7th Armoreds CCA from General Clarkes CCB. During the assault, B Company suffered about 40 casualties including its commanding officer, Captain Henry D. Wirsig. 18th Artillery Division 651. The Americans knew that their only hope in doing any sort of damage to this beast was to get as close as possible to it and shoot its weaker rear armor. Unable to advance, it pulled back to the nearest high ground and dug in. Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. During ceremonies observing the 20th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, General Clarke was able to talk to General Manteuffel and discuss German operations against St. Vith. js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/710cf52d-720a-4250-8e95-fc85dcedab01"; Ridgway answered, Bill, we can and we will. The withdrawal plan called for a general pullback west of the Salm River to an assembly area in the zone controlled by the 82nd Airborne Division in the vicinity of Lierneux. Revised Edition, Arms and Armour Press, 1973. Osprey Publishing, 2002. Jones explained to Hoge that his division was being attacked along its entire front and that two of his three regiments, the 422nd and the 423rd, had been partly surrounded in the Schnee Eifel area just east of Schoenberg. Hoge and Ridgway had been on the West Point football team together when Ridgway had been the teams manager. Germanys Tiger Tanks VK45.02 to TIGER II. Infanterie-Division . Contents 1 Allied Forces 1.1 12th Army Group 1.1.1 U.S. First Army 1.1.1.1 V Corps 1.1.1.2 VII Corps 1.1.1.3 XVIII Airborne Corps 1.1.2 U.S. Third Army 1.1.2.1 III Corps 1.1.2.2 VIII Corps 1.1.2.3 XII Corps Little offtopic here but another misidentification might be the 1 destroyed 88mm assault gun (Ferdinand). Jones had been counting on this when he sent Hoges 9th Armored Command to Winterspelt rather than Schoenberg. Manteuffel had hoped for considerably more on the 19th. Darlington Productions Inc., 2000. General Luchts plan for December 17 was simple. Volksgrenadier-Division was formed from the partially formed 571.Volksgrenadier-Division in Denmark in September 1944, it also included excess Kriegsmarine personnel and surviving elements from 18. Panzertruppen Volume 2 The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Deployment of The German Tank Forces 1943-1945. At approximately 0930 on December 17, B Company was the first 9th Armored Division unit to cross the Our River. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18.Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. Operation Nordwind 1945 Hitlers last offensive in the West. Inform us! Approximately three hours later a German company marched out of Neidingen and along the road leading straight into C Companys position, apparently totally unaware of 9th Armoreds recent change of position. The German tank then stopped dead in its tracks and shuddered; there was a muffled explosion, followed by flames which billowed out of the turret and engine ports. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. Captain Ansteys version lacks supporting documentation. It was a clear disappointment to Jones when Clarke told him that he, his operations officer, his aide, and his driver were the only representatives of the 7th Armored Division to have reached St. Vith at that time. At about 0930, the enemy attacked St. Vith from Hunningen to the north, apparently in an effort to envelop Clarkes left flank. 2014. Luftlande-Division 19416 19421944 19453 22 22. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. After that mornings enemy assaults, the line of the 27th AIB was reestablished west of Neubruck. Furthermore, the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons After Action Report (AAR) for the month of December 1944, written by Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Laurence Boylan, the commanding officer of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron at the time, makes no mention of this event either. Volksgrenadier-Division 5 [ ] Volksgrenadier-Division. Although it was beaten off, the attacking Germans were identified as new to the area, soldiers of the 9th SS Panzer Division, a cause for considerable concern at this point in the battle. 13th Flak Division 651 . Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field Division. Soon after General Hoge left 106th Division headquarters for the drive back to Faymonville, Jones received a call from Middleton informing him that a combat command of Brig. EN RU CN DE ES. General Hoge moved his command post to Commanster. The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571. The southernmost battle group of the 18th Volksgrenadier would also undertake a mobile thrust and, finally, the 62nd Volksgrenadier would break loose at Heckhuscheid and drive for the Our River Valley. Penguin Books, 2016. Combat Interviews of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient, December 17-23, 1944. Rather than reaching the Meuse and driving on to Antwerp, the offensive stalled and eventually was turned back. Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field Division. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aefa00eeca3d30bd3e762fcc54816f6d" );document.getElementById("f87928873f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1964. The reason for this comparative respite was due to the fact that the roads to the German rear were completely jammed. Rejection & Neglect available to buy on Payhip! Combat Interviews of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division: The St. Vith Salient and Manhay, December 17-23, 1944. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18. It was around 1200 hours and all was quiet when suddenly a German heavy tank was spotted slowly approaching the American line, a Tiger I. . English PDF (15 MB) Jan B-603 352d Volks Grenadier Division (19 Freb.-21 Mar. Please click for detailed translation, meaning, pronunciation and example sentences for 18e volksgrenadier division in English . Much like the Panzer IV, the StuG III was a mainstay of the German army as well as Germanys most produced armored fighting vehicle of the war with over 9,400 produced. This one, however, most likely did not. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. VGD. Maurice Delaval Papers Collection of the Military History Institute in Carlisle, PA. The capture of St. Vith was, however, important for three other reasons: to ensure the complete isolation of Allied troops that might be trapped on a nearby ridge called the Schnee Eifel; to cover the German supply lines unraveling behind the armored corps to the north and south; and to feed reinforcements laterally into the main thrusts by using the St. Vith road net. At about 0115 on December 17, a platoon from 9th Armoreds D Troop, 89th Recon was detailed to proceed through St. Vith in a southeasterly direction and seize the high ground along Highway N27 south of Steinebruck. Volksgrenadier Division 2. Chamberlain, Peter, et al. During the early hours of December 17, the Germans laid heavy mortar and artillery fire on the front-line positions of his regiment. 2014. This German World War II article is a stub. Farther to the west, the 82nd Airborne, trying to keep a corridor open for the St. Vith defenders, was coming under intense pressure from the 2nd SS Panzer Division. 1945. By dark, Lt. Col. Engeman and his two task forces were back in their assembly area in the vicinity of Breitfeld. There are no German records or histories which indicate that, on 18th December 1944, a Tiger I or a Tiger II was knocked out in or around St. Vith. Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1918) Period: First World War (1914-1918) Awarded on: . After listening to the information provided by General Clarkes staff officer, General Hoge decided to go to St. Vith himself to assess the situation. The formations started to peel backward in succession from opposite Neubruck to Maldingen. The troops were exhausted and spread out. After Action Report, Month of December, 1944. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. On February 5, 1945 General Walter Botsch took over command of the division. Volksgrenadier-Division; 18. The time was approximately 1800 on Saturday, December 16, when Combat Command B of the 9th Armored Division began its move to St. Vith. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. Ninth Armored sent out billeting parties as it reached its new area. In the 27th AIBs move to take the high ground, B Company advanced along the center of the road. The job of capturing St. Vith went to the Fifth Panzer Armys 66th Corps, commanded by General Walther Lucht. It is possible (if unlikely) that this event was completely unrelated to the M8 Greyhound versus Tiger story. The Battle at St. Vith, Belgium 17-23 December 1944 An Historical Example of Armor in the Defense. Lucht anticipated that the Americans would counterattack the next day, but that their reaction would be too late to avoid complete encirclement. Perrin told General Hoge, You can continue this attack on towards this back country, but you must be back on this side of the river by nightfall.. Jentz, Thomas. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division (18th VGD) was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945. By dark, just as General Hoges command was getting underway from Faymonville, Kittels mobile battalion and infantry from the 190th Regiment were closing in on Winterspelt. Mines were laid. events, and resources, The Battle of the Bulge & The Defense of St. Vith. A two-day rest was planned for everyone. Hoge could not see much sense in making an attack, taking ground, and then turning right around and coming back, especially if the attack was successful. }(document, 'script', 'exco-player')); The M8 Greyhound was a small, 7.9 tonne American armored car with 6.4 mm to 25.4 mm of armor, only enough to protect against rifle caliber bullets, and armed with a 37 mm M6 main gun, a peashooter at this point in the war. It was to cross the Meuse on both sides of Liege before advancing on to Antwerp. The 18th Volksgrenadier Division would use these assault guns in small probing attacks on the American lines east of St. Vith that same day. The German 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of Nazi Germany.HistoryThe was established in 1934 under the cover name. The corps consisted of two infantry divisions. This moment marked the beginning of the famous Battle of the Bulge, Germany's last major offensive on the Western Front in World War II. It appeared now that the fate of his two northern regiments was sealed. Jones wanted Clarke to counterattack immediately with his combat command and break that ring that these people have closed around the Schnee Eifel.. Thus, there are four different versions of this story circulating: Troop Es version with a Tiger I, Troop Es version with a Tiger II, Captain Ansteys version with a Tiger I, and Captain Ansteys version with a Tiger II. However, he kept these misgivings to himself. The Tiger II, also known as the King Tiger, Royal Tiger, Knigstiger, and Tiger Ausf.B, was an enormous, 69.8 tonne German heavy tank. A platoon of medium tanks counterattacked, and the enemy retreated. Panzer Tracts No. Andrews, Frank L. The Defense of St. Vith in the Battle of the Ardennes December, 1944. Staff officers were casualties. War Department, 1944. On top of attacking the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B), a Panzer IV can be easily misidentified as a Tiger I. Penguin Books, 2016. Under cover of automatic weapons fire from a platoon of light tanks, Sergeant Eugene Dorland and two other men from the engineers went into the cold, bullet-splattered water carrying three cases of TNT and placed their charges on the south abutment of the bridge. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; English PDF (33 MB) Jan B-700 The division was formed in Denmark, in September 1944, by redesignating 571.Volksgrenadier-Division.Under the command of Gnther Hoffmann-Schnborn, the new division absorbed elements of the 18th Luftwaffe Field . Ninth Armored and its attachments traveled southwest on N26 to the junction with N33 west of Beho, then turned north on N33 to Salmchateau, and finally west on N183 through Lierneux to Malempre-Jevigne, southeast of Manhay. Field Marshal Montgomery, believing that Ridgways Corps could not attack successfully toward Vielsalm and that the American forces within the goose egg could better be used in support of other forces committed to the northern shoulder defense, decided upon a general withdrawal. The American armor of the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions plus supporting units were being pressed into an area in which motorized forcestanks, half-tracks, self-propelled artillery, tank destroyersoperated with great difficulty. 120th Infantry Regiment (30th Infantry Division) 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion 319th Field Artillery Glider Battalion 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment German Units 3d Parachute Division 12th SS Panzer Division 18th Volksgrenadier Division 246th Volsgrenadier Division 884th March Battalion 905th Assault Gun Brigade Based upon this fairly optimistic view, Ridgway, shortly after midnight, ordered the entire St. Vith force to withdraw from its current positions and form a defensive ring west of St. Vith and east of the Salm River. English Edition, Casemate Publishers, 2014. Boyer, Donald P. St. Vith The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge 17-23 December 1944 A Narrative After Action Report. The 9th Armored Divisions position at the Our was no longer tenable. Although the 7th Armored Division was finally arriving, General Jones had been led to believe that the whole division would arrive in St. Vith starting at 0700. Similar events have happened more than once, though on the Eastern Front. 6 Schwere Panzerkampfwagen DW to E-100. His troops remained in place, and the pullout to the west side of the Our River began at dusk. Johnston, W. Wesley. One would think that Lieutenant Colonel Boylan, or at the very least Troop A, would make some sort of mention of this fairly notable engagement. The greatest danger existed in the 424ths position because the regiments flank lay vulnerable to attacks by the 116th Panzer Division to the south. Battle of the Bulge 1944 (1): St Vith and the Northern Shoulder. Late in the day, the Germans launched three major attacks, each directed along a main road leading into the town. During the rest of the day and on into the evening of December 17, CCB, 7th Armored moved into St. Vith and began a buildup that resembled a large horseshoe on the high ground to the east of the village. It is stated as being reported to Major Boyer by one Captain Walter Henry Anstey of Company A of the 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, who is said to have been a witness to the event. One Day at Stavelot, a Tale of Two Archives The Tiger II vs US Tank Destroyers in the Ardennes. The situation on Reids left flank was unclear, and the Germans were attacking in considerable force against his right flank. Established in 1941, the unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, in the Army Group North Rear Area. Could an M8 Greyhounds 37 mm M6 gun even penetrate the rear hull armor of a Tiger I? South of St. Vith, even as Lt. Col. Engemans task forces were responding to the 7th Armoreds cry for help, Germans of the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division were trying to get across the Our River at Steinebruck and hit St. Vith from that direction. When you get surprised like this, you become cautious.Undoubtedly much, if not most, of the armor encountered by Manteuffels probing actions during the early days of the German offensive belonged to CCB, 9th Armored Division. Infanterie-Division 19398 . The fact that there were Panzer IVs attacking the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (minus Troop B) and the similarity in appearance between the Tiger I and Panzer IV would account for both Troop Es account and Troop Ds potential account of this event. Moreover, at least a regiment from the 1st SS Panzer Division was in sporadic conflict with the American defenders in the Recht-Poteau area and, in the south, elements of the 560th Volksgrenadier Division, part of General Walter Kruegers 58th Panzer Corps, were also identified as pushing against American forces in the St. Vith salient. The commanders were at the center of the Foret Domaniale du Grand Bois. Two hits were scored on the enemy tank in the rear, and its crew evacuated.